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Rally small in number, big in passion

Ailvie Rausch, front, stands with Randy Rausch, both of Moon, to look at a sign brought by a family friend to the rally at the Butler State Police Barracks on Friday. The rally was held to support public awareness of the 18-year-old cold case involving Scott Fosnaught, Ailvie's son, and Shawn Baur, two 15-year-olds who died under mysterious circumstances in 2002 in Forward Township.

BUTLER TWP — The mother of the late Scott Fosnaught spent the 18th anniversary of her “Scotty's” death at the Butler Barracks of the state police, where she and others hoped to bring awareness to the cold case involving her son.

Ailvie Rausch of Moon Township, Allegheny County, attended a rally organized by We Can Bring You Hope to draw attention to the unsolved deaths of Scott and his friend, Shawn Baur.

The boys were both 15 years old on July 17, 2002, when they walked down Cashdollar Road in Forward Township in the early morning hours.

The friends were found unresponsive along the rural road. Fosnaught died at the scene and Baur succumbed to head injuries a short time later at a Pittsburgh hospital.

No perpetrators have ever been found and no one has come forward with helpful evidence since that time.

“It eats away at you physically and mentally,” Rausch said as she wiped away tears. “It's like it was yesterday.”

Rausch said she hopes someone with information — no matter how seemingly unimportant — will call the state police.

She also wants investigators to reopen the case, re-interview everyone from the initial investigation and invite the FBI to join in the case.

Rausch also advocates for each county in Pennsylvania to have a state police cold-case squad instead of one trooper assigned to all the cold cases in a county.

But mainly, Rausch wants to find her son's killer or killers and see them pay for the crime, so her family and the Baur family can grieve the losses they sustained so many years ago.

“It's a small town,” Rausch said. “Someone has information.”

There is a $27,000 reward for anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer or killers of Scott Fosnaught and Shawn Baur.

Those with any tips, no matter how seemingly unimportant or obscure, should call the state police at 724-284-8100.

Anonymous information can also be shared with We Can Bring You Hope by calling or texting 724-466-4673 or submitting information on the tip portal at wecanbringyouhope.org.

This is a breaking news report — subscribe online or in print to read a full article.

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